MEXICO CITY – Jorge Masvidal says the matchup between himself and Nate Diaz at UFC 244 is the “hardest fight that exists in the whole history of the UFC,” and that things could have been very different had reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman not turned down a title defense against him. The welterweight fan favorite, whose 16-year professional MMA career has experienced a major upturn in fortunes following a pair of spectacular wins over Darren Till and Ben Askren, said he had agreed to fight Usman for the UFC welterweight title, but “The Nigerian Nightmare” initially rejected the matchup. Speaking in Spanish backstage at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in Mexico City on Saturday, Masvidal (34-13 MMA, 11-6 UFC) told reporters, including MMA Junkie: “They told me several names – one of them was Usman. I said, ‘OK, let’s go.’ They told Usman this is the fight. He said no.
Continue reading here: